Friendswood to open first off-leash dog park

Friendswood is opening its first off-leash dog park on Wednesday, August 28. The Friendswood PetSafe Dog Park is 1.6 acres and located in the Old City Park at 300 Briarmeadow Avenue.

The park was created with the help of the PetSafe Bark for Your Park program, an initiative that grants funding to 13 communities across the country each year in order to help them create safe and enjoyable off-leash areas for dogs and their owners, according to PetSafe’s website.

Caden Fischer, a local Life Scout and Friendswood High School student, has been working for more than three years to see Friendswood build a dog-friendly park as his Eagle Scout project. As he was looking for an idea for his project, he kept coming across residents frustrated that the closest dog park was so far away, he said.

“I wanted to do something really ambitious, so I got in touch with the city and they were all for it,” he said. “They already had land set aside for something like they so they were excited to help me.”

Between Fischer’s smaller fundraising efforts, like a seven-hour dog-wash event; the PetSafe funding; and donations from Ron Carter Automotive, Gulf Coast Trees, and other local businesses, the park is now ready for the public.

“Every time we called on people to help, they were there,” Fischer said. “Now I want people to enjoy it in a way that’s good for the park and the other people there.”

Friendswood Mayor Mike Foreman is enthusiastic that the park will be enjoyed by residents for years to come, he said in a press release.

“This project has been a big dream for many people and I’m proud of everyone who has played a part in bringing us to this point of completion,” he said in a press release.

Park hours are from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer, and 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the winter. It will be closed on Mondays for maintenance.